Old style Preparations for Christmas 2010!!

freyasmum

ERICS_MUM wrote: »

what a lovely post, I've bookmarked it in my Christmas folder. Thank you so much.

Linda xx

Aww, that's awfully kind of you to say :j

ERICS_MUM wrote: »

What about non-food ideas ?

Or a scrapbook, rather like a photo album with favourite family pics but with the photos being displayed on back ground paper, embellished with ribbons, paper flowers etc and notes explaining who they all are. Much more fun than arranging photos in 4's on black photo album paper.

I never even thought about non food items :rotfl::D

On the scrapbook note - and I know it's not exactly the same - but you can have books printed at blurb. It's a LOT cheaper than having them done at photobox or wherever else and there is a flat shipping rate for up to 3 books. I only mention it because, though I love scrapbooking, I just don't have the time since my daughter arrived (four years ago :rotfl:). And it can get expensive if you're anything like me :A I had one done with all my daughters pictures and it arrived this morning. I love it!

Was thinking about getting a hold of all the old pictures of my granny and putting them in a book and typing out the old songs she used to sing, and with all the old sayings she had and giving that to my mum for Christmas?

Clurbur85 wrote: »

I had such fun with pots of gold last year and everybody loved them!!!! You can spend as much or as little as you want... to be honest I went a little overboard, but everybody was made up with them, so who cares!

xxx

I totally agree - they're great fun, and so easy to do - once you get the cellophane wrapping down

The thing that I like about them is that you can take an idea and totally make it your own - love the idea about adding gold cufflinks!


I know you can see what's in this from this pic, but I rewrapped it with gold tissue paper in the bowl so that you couldn't. It looked better once it was rewrapped but I can't find a pic of that :doh:

suzie_wong wrote: »

I've seen an idea on a website which I am going to adapt to make it more personal, and also suitable for children. The website is alphabetphotography.co.uk (I think). You can have any word, eg someones name, made up from photographs- where each letter is actually a photograph of something which happens to be the right shape. It's difficult to describe, but if you have a look you will see what I mean.

I LOVE this idea! Thank you :j

My granny is 91 and, sadly, bedbound I think something like this would be fantastic for her. Everyone buys chocolates or nightgowns, I suppose because it's difficult to think of ideas! Last year I covered a shoebox with tissue paper, filled it with shred and added lots of bodyshop goodies.

zippychick wrote: »

I have merged the Christmas presents/preparing threads together - and renamed it as a general OS christmas thread for 2010. This means we keep all the discussion together for this year. thanks:j Zip

you monkey! I got so confused earlier :rotfl:


Sorry for the mega long post

Since it's merged now and not just a HM goodies thread, my ideas are...

- buy gift wrap in sales
- buy things as you find them - I had my daughters main 'santa' present for last year since before the previous Christmas. Yea, it sounds mad, but it was a pram set for £1.74 - should've been £35! I think it'd have been more mad not to get it

AND *just before I run and hide* My favourite bit about Christmas, just cos I can. I'd wrap empty boxes if I could bring myself to waste the paper :rotfl:





Flip :doh:

The reason for posting all this - and I really do apologise, consider my wrists slapped and I won't post here for a while :A -

I found a recipe for coffee toffee, which I thought would be perfect for including in a little mini hamper, perhaps with some chocolate spoons?

Pixieswishes

I am new to this website but I think this thread is going to save me alot of money this Christmas

I like the idea of Christmas Hampers and I am going to create some for my nearest and dearest. For example for my Grandmother who loves gardening but hasn't been able to do it since she had a stroke I am going to get her some gardening books and those little grow pots. She could grow the flowers in the pots on the windowsil.
I also like the idea of making HM fudge and other sweets. So I am going to make these to give away to friends.

I made my OH skittle jars for Christmas last year. I brought the skittles in big packs on offer last year and organised them into colours. He loved them and his family was apparently very jealous.

Anyway I want to say thanks to everyone so far because they've put me in a Christmas spirit in the middle of August

mummy2mygirls

Pixieswishes wrote: »

I made my OH skittle jars for Christmas last year. I brought the skittles in big packs on offer last year and organised them into colours. He loved them and his family was apparently very jealous.

Thanks for this idea - im trying to cut costs this year and trying to think of a small hamper for my step dad - and he loves skittles so might have to do this as part of his hamper - make it a little nicer part to it.....

Love this thread and getting loads of ideas! I also am thinking about making the rasberry vodka - im sure a few people would like that

tinselfairy

I was in the Poundshop yesterday and saw a bottle of Original Source DragonFruit and Capsicum shower gel which got me thinking!

We have a male friend who is a very keen (and good) cook and so I have been thinking of making up a pepper hamper. Along with the shower gel maybe a chilli pepper seed kit, peppercorns, pepper chutney, chilli flavour chocolate bar, a couple of bottles of beer to drink after eating all the peppery food?

Might be an idea:T

TeegansNan

Hi everyone,
I would like to make a knitted Santa for my youngest Grandson, PLEASE does anyone have a copy of Alan Dart's Super Santa knitting pattern????



It was in Simply Knitting magazine, issue 47. I just can't find my copy - I think I must have loaned it out and haven't had it back.

I hope someone can help me please. :):):)

wssla00

psso wrote: »

Have a look on here and see if there`s one near you.:)

http://www.swri.org.uk/

Woo! Going to go along when the season starts again :j

zippychick

tinselfairy wrote: »

I was in the Poundshop yesterday and saw a bottle of Original Source DragonFruit and Capsicum shower gel which got me thinking!

We have a male friend who is a very keen (and good) cook and so I have been thinking of making up a pepper hamper. Along with the shower gel maybe a chilli pepper seed kit, peppercorns, pepper chutney, chilli flavour chocolate bar, a couple of bottles of beer to drink after eating all the peppery food?

Might be an idea:T

Sounds fab! I would add a bar of nice milk chocolate too - as it helps cool the mouth after eathing spicy stuff! You could really go to town and prepare an enclosing leaflet with suggestions for use - just a little personal touch!

I am starting to collect stuff to make christmas crackers this year. Toilet roll holders, small trinkets to go inside, and maybe some wrapping paper from old christmas past. Am starting a christmas box up!

I have some chilli plants on the go, so *hope* to make some chilli jam as gifts, so am going to start gathering jars. (or getting others to keep th em for me!)

Also going to do some skittles vodka ! :xmassign::rotfl:

zippychick

Just updated the first link and tidied it up into sections. If anyone can think of other stuff to put in it - let me know. I can't think what people would make for starters for example - we don't have one. We save the gut busting for dinner Plus,I've hardly linked to any vegetables! :O

Let me know if you have more stuff to add, or if there are any broken links.

Confuzzled

i just bought some dried cherry stones for making washable 'wheat bags' i can NEVER find any already made that don't have lavander and i'm allergic to that.

the thought occured to me that they would make nice gifts and the ebay shop sells them much cheaper in quantity with a fixed postage cost of 1.99 so i ordered more than 3kg of them (enough for 4 pillows it says).

i plan to use an old fluffy pink bathrobe (given to me, not my style and not worn) into pieces to make nice wide rectangluar bags. i'll make one for myself, the shape is important for me because i need one to sit on sometimes, i have problems with my pelvis hurting from working from my computer (work from home so i don't have a choice!) and i find the heat helps a lot! but i'll make them loose enough so they can be folded for microwaving and moulded around the neck etc. i may even put ribbon ties on them so they can be tied to the back/waist etc

i will be nice though, i'll give my ex one that isn't pink and fluffy... well... maybe

TudorRose

Been reading through this thread & it's so full of great ideas.
Have all the paper & tags I need as bought them in sales at the start of 2010.
I am doing the Christmas meal for my partner this year as I have been to stay with him for last two years & this year he is coming to me. We don't go overboard especially as he is now diabetic but I already have a turkey crown in the freezer that I found in Tesco for £10.00 a few weeks ago so that's dinner sorted.
I will me doing hampers again for my two grandsons. The main items will be PJ's & dressing gowns plus bits & pieces like socks, bubble bath, pencils & a selection box.
Last year I did Pots Of Gold for my son & son in law. I put the sweets etc in a beer glass wrapped in cellophane then put them in a gold coloured gift bag along with a couple of bottles of Sol beer & an Adidas smellies set which was in a gold box.
The beauty of Pots Of Gold is that they can be as small or as large as you want.
I have also been saving with Tesco via my clubcard. I intend to save £50.00 so that I qualify for a £3.00 bonus.